Projectile nose structure



United States V The present invention relates to improvements inordnance projectiles and more particularly concerns the construction ofthe nose end portions of such projectiles.

IStreamlined -projectiles such as artillery shells, low drag bombs andthe like are generally provided with hard, symmetn'cally ogivedpenetrating tips or points in or on the noses thereof having the dualVfunction of eliminating or at least reducing Wind resistance .duringtravel of the projectile from firing mechanism or release from the bombbay of an airplane, as the case may be, and for facilitating penetrationof the projectile into the target.

Where the pointed tip of the hard nose strikes a relatively hard targetsurface at anV oblique angle there is not only -a tendency to deflectfrom course but also Vto twistanddeflect the nose portion of theprojectile relative to the body portion of the projectile. In the latterevent the projectile may collapse or -at -least become so warped ordisfigured as to resist penetration of the target at least to thedesired depth.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to overcomethe foregoing and other problems encountered in connection withprojectile structures.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im-' proved ordnanceprojectile nose structure which alords a streamlined pointed tip forminimizing air resistance but also provides an effective shearing edgeon the nose structure to facilitate penetration of the projectile whencon- -tact is made with a target on a trajectory axis oblique to thetarget surface into which the projectile must penetrate.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a projectile nosestructure a novel normally shielded shearing edge.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such -a novelshearing edge in combination with improved means for avoiding distortionor `buckling of the nose portion of the projectile.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedprojectile construction including novel means for avoiding deflection orundue resistance to penetration in depth of the projectile into a targethaving a hard surface approached obliquely by the projectile.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a projectile shell memberembodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional detail view takensubstantially on the line II-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary more or less schematic sectional elevationalview disclosing the relationship of the nose of the projectile to atarget surface at the moment of contact of the shearing edge of theprojectile nose with the target.

Although it will be apparent that the invention is atent O Ice adaptablefor use in other types of ordnance projectiles, t 's exemplified hereinas applied to the head shell 5 of alow'drag bomb. 'Such a shell may beseveral feet long and provided with a fairly long ogive tapered noseportion 7 terminating in a thickened internally dire'cted collar 8concentrically machined to provide a bore 9.

`Within the outer end portion of the bore 9 is 'an internally threadedstructure 10 for receiving and securing a threaded stem 11 on a hardnose tip member 12.

On its outer surface the nose ,member V12 is shaped as a continuaton ofthe ogive of the nose portion 7 of the shell so that when the tip member12 has been drawn tightly down against the tip of the collar portion 8the tip 12 continues uninterruptedly the ogive streamlining o'f the noseportion of the shell.

'In order 'to effect -a looking, spread resisting engagement of the nosemember 12 with the tip of the shell proper, an undercut annular shoulder13 sloping outwardly from the base of the stempll provides anoverhanging marginal 'interlock with a complementary tapered annular tipsurface 1'4 on the shell. Thereby, pressures tendi'ng to spread the tiplportion of the shell away from the nose member 12 are res'isted,especially during impact of the nose member against a target.

'For the purpose of enabling eflicient penetration of a target withoutdeflection or tendency to distort the nose portion of the shellassembly, an annular shearing edge 15 'is provided onthe extremity'ofthe hard nose tip member 12. This'shearing edge is onthe marginalextremity of the tip member and in a convenient form is recess-symmet-rically formed on the axis of the tip meme ber. By having theconcavity 17 of shallow, concave, smooth surface, minimum resistance tosliding thereover of target material during penetration will beencountered.

Upon reference to Figure 3, the relationship of the shearing edge 15 atthe moment of impact of the shell nose tip 12 with a target T uponapproach of the shell or bomb head 5 at an oblique angle to thecontacted surface of the target is shown. Assuming that the target Tcomprises an armored structure such as a battle ship, tank or otherarmored structure, with that portion of the target shown consisting ofarmor plate, it will be appreciated that the shearing edge 15 will cutthrough the armor, with the force of the shell or 'bomb head distributedover the substantial extent of the shearing edge as it shears into thetarget, rather than concentrated at a tip as is conventional. Thissubstantially eases the Shock on the shell 5 and minimizes tendency ofthe tip 12 to cant or cause spreading of the nose end of the shell. Ofcourse, by virtue of the undercut interlock etfected between the nosetip of the shell and the overhanging shoulder 13 of the tip member 12any such tendency toward spreading or distortion of the shell tipVrelative to the nose tip 12 is minimized.

It should also be observed that if, as a result of initial striking ofthe target T by the shearing edge 15 eccentrically relative to the axisof the shell, as shown in Fig. 3, there is any tendency for deflectionof the shell from its oblique trajectory axis, such deflection is towarda more nearly normal entry into the target, that is biased more nearlytoward the perpendicular so that the shell may penetrate the target moreadvantageously. This is quite contrary to the tendency upon a sharppoint tip striking the target obliquely since the tendency with such atip is to deflect the shell further off center rather than tending todeflect the shell toward a more centered, or normal or perpendicularrelatior to the target as with the present construction.

Since it is highly desirable in order to avoid wind resistance to havethe tip of the shell as pointed and streamlined as possible, means areprovided for capping the tip member 12 for this' purpose. To this' end,a light Forvsnug flush'mounting of the cap member '18, the' distal' end'portion of the tip memberlZ'is forme'd'with an inset'annular groove 19of a'depthequal to the tbickness of 'the proximal marginal flangeportion of the cap member. flange of the cap member snugly 'tightly fitsWithin; the groove 19 flush with the external surface of the tip member12;

v Since on impact with target it is' desirable to have the entering,shearing edge 15 she'aringly en'gagethe target, the cap 18 isconstructed of'a`material1that Will be destroyed, preferably bydisint'egration on engagement with the target. For this purpose, the cap18 may be constructed of a frangible metallic or non-metallic materialpossessed of suflicient tensile Strength to withstand handling'andassembly with the shell unit and to VWithstand normal usage in handlingof the shell for trans-' It will be understood that modifications andvariations may be eifected without departing'from the scope ofthei novelconcepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention: V In .Va shell Construction of the characterdescribed, a

hollow shell member having la generally ogived nose por- TheConstruction is such that the Vinarginal tion, an annular forwardlyfacing shoulder onthe for- `Ward extremity of said nose portion about acentral opening into the hollow interior of the shell, and a hardpenetrating tip nose member having a short central rearwardly extendingstem projecting into said opening and secured therein and provided aboutthe base of said Stem with 'a rearwardly facing annular shoulder seatedupon said nose portion shoulder, said nose member having an externalogive flush with and complementary to the ogive of said shell noseportion, the tip of said nose member being generally blunt and providedwith a marginal annular generally forwardly projecting shearing edgeterminus aligned with said shell portion shoulder for substanl tiallydirect thrustforce'there'to, said shell shoulder being tilting Vo-f thenose member relativeto the shell axis on.

beveled ofi rearwardly and outwardly and said nose member shoulder beingcomplementary in an overhanging interlock relation to said shellshoulder for resistingV distortion or spreading of the shell 'forwardextremityand impact of the shearing edge with a target and transfer ofth'ust impact to Vsaid shell shoulder by said nose member shoulder.

' 'Refe-encesgCitedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

